Inflation picked up again in the second quarter of 2026 after easing at the start of the year, new figures from the High Commission for Planning (HCP) show. Consumer prices were 1.1% higher than a year earlier between April and June, up from the first quarter. The increase was mainly caused by higher fuel prices.
The HCP said rising energy prices added 0.8 percentage points to the overall inflation rate.
As a result, prices of non-food products rose by 2.5% year on year, compared with 0.7% in the previous quarter.
Food prices continued to fall, but at a slower pace. They dropped by 0.7% in the second quarter after falling 1.1% in the first three months of the year.
The HCP said the smaller decline was mainly due to higher red meat prices, which offset lower prices for other food products.
Core inflation, which excludes the most volatile items such as food and energy, also moved closer to positive territory. It stood at negative 0.2% in the second quarter, compared with negative 1.0% in the previous quarter.
The latest figures suggest that price pressures are returning, with energy costs now replacing food prices as the main driver of inflation.
